Tuesday, September 16, 2014

1871 RANKS 9th IN THE WORLD IN SURVEY OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS

UBI Index names 1871
one of the global top ten university-associated business incubators following
its survey of over 800 incubators across 60 countries

CHICAGO (September 16,
2014)— 1871 ranked 9th
in the UBI Index list of Top Ten University-Associated Business Incubators
announced in a live video this morning. UBI Index utilizes an international
research team that analyzes business incubators based on a wide range of
factors, including their value to members and overall economic impact. The
ranking system aims to determine the best incubators from around the world as
well as the two best performing business incubators from across five regions.

“The UBI
Index ranking confirms that 1871 is a global leader in its support of
innovation and the entrepreneurial community,” said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman.
“1871 offers members the best educational resources, individualized
programming, mentorship from top industry leaders and access to potential
investors - all under one roof where hundreds of startups are building their
businesses, creating jobs and fostering economic growth throughout the city of
Chicago.”

As a university-associated incubator, 1871 maintains close
partnerships with top universities in Chicago and around the world.
Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois and
Illinois Institute of Technology all have dedicated spaces at 1871 where
students and faculty come to work on their businesses and immerse themselves in
Chicago’s entrepreneurial community.

“Incubators like 1871
are helping to keep Illinois at the forefront of innovation,” Governor Pat
Quinn said. “Today’s ranking shows how investing in the entrepreneurial
community can pay dividends to our economy, creating new businesses and jobs
for years to come.”

Based on the one of the most comprehensive frameworks to
measure incubator performance, UBI Index is at the cutting edge of incubator
analysis. Its ranking system considers the incubator’s economy enhancement
performance, such as job creation and talent retention, value for their members,
such as access to funds and competence development, and the members’
post-incubation performance.

“As Chicago’s tech
economy grows, our entrepreneurs look for the type of collaboration and sense
of community that innovation spaces like 1871 provide,” said Mayor Rahm
Emanuel. “Having access to other startups, as well as funders and academics,
increases the chance of success for these businesses, and is helping them to
become a driving force in growing Chicago’s 21st century economy.”

With over 300 participants who were specifically assessed,
the information in UBI Index’s Top 10 Ranking helps incubator managers from
around the world successfully run their programs, allowing them to see areas
requiring improvement for their specific business models, ways of effectively
utilizing operational budgets, and strategies to attract a new client base. Additionally,
the rankings will aid governments, investors and early-stage companies to see
where the top incubators are for specific sectors, whether they be Life
Sciences, Biotechnology or ICT.

“1871 is an exceptional incubation program,” said UBI Index co-founder
Dhruv Batil. “It performs really well on our global benchmark, especially on
economy enhancement indicators. This signifies that 1871 clients make a
significant economic impact on the region by the high number of jobs created
and the exceptionally high proportion of graduate startups that are growing or
profitable. The UBI Index global benchmark of business incubators includes most
of the top Universities in the world, notably Stanford, UC Berkeley and
Cornell. In this context 1871 performs much better than their peers at top
universities.”

About UBI Index

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, and with an international
research team, including founders Ali Amin, Dhruv Bhatli, Joel Eriksson Enquist
and Lars Henrik Friis Molin, UBI Index is a thought leader in performance
analysis of business incubators around the world. It helps business incubators
become more efficient and competitive through a comprehensive benchmark where
more than 300 incubators in over 60 countries participate. TechStars London
Director, Jonathan Bradford, Chief Strategy Officer at Vinnova, Kjell Håkan
Närfelt, and Paolo Borella, Director, Microsoft Nokia App Campus form part of
the official UBI Index advisors.

About 1871

1871 is an entrepreneurial hub for digital
startups. Located in The Merchandise Mart, the 75,000-square-foot facility
provides Chicago startups with programming, access to mentors, educational
resources, potential investors and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs
that help them on their path to building successful businesses. 1871 is the
flagship project of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center.